[Lexicog] RE: Query re keyboard re-mapping

[Peter Kirk]

On 24/09/2004 18:51, Koontz John E wrote:

> ...
>
>>The only problem I see is with accent combinations which are not
>>precomposed in Unicode.
>>
>>
>
>Which occur one or two to a word in Siouan and Tanoan languages.
>
>
>
>>Although these can be rendered properly in Windows, Microsoft is holding
>>back from a more general release of the Uniscribe rendering engine
>>(usp10.dll) required to do this properly.
>>
>>
>
>Of course, computerized work with the Siouan languages goes back to a
>point when Unicode didn't exist, and Unicode's failure to date to become a
>practical solution for these languages hasn't unduely harmed either work
>on these languages or Unicode. ...
>

Don't blame Unicode, blame Microsoft and the other software companies
for their tardiness in implementing Unicode.

>... At one point it wasn't clear to me that
>Unicode would ever be any more than archivally useful with them, but as it
>has become an international standard in the face of initial ISO opposition
>and the technology implementing "16 bit" characters and now base +
>diacritic representation has actually wormed its way into the mainstream,
>I've become more sanguine about this!
>
>
>
>>I would think that if suitable pressure is applied by Native American
>>communities, which I believe are receiving support from the Gates
>>Foundation, Microsoft just might be persuaded to release more widely the
>>updated version of Uniscribe.
>>
>>
>
>These remarks will probably prove controversial!
>
>

Thanks for your remarks about the politics of this - an area of which I
am woefully ignorant.

>...
>
>This is a rather pessimistic assessment that overlooks the great strides
>that have been taken in support of Native American native-language
>literacy.  Nonetheless, it's a bit strange to one observing the process to
>hear a suggestion that Native American communities should collectively
>pressure Microsoft to make software more readily available that would
>facilitate the use of orthographies full of diacritics!
>
>
>
I see your point. Well, obviously not all people want to use diacritics.
But if those who want to get together and pressure Microsoft, or just
pressure Microsoft individually, they might get somewhere. And if no one
wants to use diacritics, what is the problem?


--
Peter Kirk
peter at qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/




------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/HKE4lB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->


Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/